1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an improvement on the layout of internal structural arrangement of a camera.
2. Description of the Related Art
The layout of internal structural arrangement of conventional cameras has been either as shown in FIG. 14 or in FIGS. 15(a) and 15(b). FIG. 14 shows a case where a battery 201 is stowed below an aperture part 209 between a spool chamber 205 and a film cartridge chamber 204. FIGS. 15(a) and 15(b) show another case where the battery 201 and the main capacitor 206 of a flash device are stowed in a grip part of the camera.
However, the layout of the camera having the battery 201 stowed below the aperture part 209 as shown in FIG. 14 necessitates not only a contact piece 203 and a movable contact piece 202 for contact with electrodes of the battery 201 but also arranging the length A of the opening of a battery chamber to be sufficiently longer than the length C of the battery 201 to facilitate taking out the battery 201. A distance B necessary for these requirements thus increases to a considerable extent. As a result, the width X of the whole camera inevitably increases. Further, since a dimension Y from a photo-taking optical axis to the bottom surface of the camera is determined by the sum of the diameter of the battery 201 and the opening dimension of the aperture part 209, not only the height of the camera increases but also an unnecessary space increases. As a result, the size of the camera unnecessarily becomes larger.
Further, in the case of the layout as shown in FIGS. 15(a) and 15(b), since the battery 201 and the main capacitor 206 are stowed further on the outer side than the film cartridge chamber 204, the width E of the camera much increases although its height H decreases. As a result, the camera would inconveniently run out in part from a pocket or the like when carrying the camera.
Besides, the height D of the camera becomes too small for keeping a firm hold of the camera in a picture-taking posture because of a space left between the palm of the hand and the camera body, while the width E of the camera is long to make a distance between a photo-taking lens 207 and a release button 208 also long. Therefore, when the release button 208 is operated, the camera tends to turn a little on its grip part to increase a camera shake.
It is one aspect of this invention to provide a camera which can be arranged in a compact apposite shape without bringing about any unnecessary space. To attain this aspect, the camera according to this invention comprises a cartridge chamber, a spool chamber, and a battery chamber located on the side of at least one of the cartridge chamber and the spool chamber with respect to an optical axis of a photo-taking optical unit disposed between the cartridge chamber and the spool chamber, and at least one of above and below at least one of the cartridge chamber and the spool chamber.
The above and other aspects and features of this invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments thereof taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.